Traction-engine



l (No Model 2 sneak-sheet 1.

R. S. ANGELL.

TRAGTION ENGINE.

No. 282,944, Patented Ailg. 14,1883.

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No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet S R. S. ANGELL.

, TRACTION ENGINE.

' NQ. ZSZ;'944. Patented'A ug.14,, 1883.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR W, WW 9, 9 60 ATTORNEY;

ing the braces. Fig; 5 is a view, one side be "To all whom it may concern.-

citizen of the United States, residing at Moorthe wheels andsteering apparatus, it is not gine in the drawings, but. to confine myself new. Therefore any suitable engine and boiler view. Fig. 3 represents a detail View of the UNITED 1 STATES P TENT OFFlCE.

RANSOM s. ANGELL, or MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA.

TRACTloN ENGlNE.

SPECIFICATIONforming' part of,Letters Patent N... 282,944, dated August 14, 1883. l

Be it known that I, RANsoM S.ANGE L, a

head, in the county of Clay: and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TractionEngines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawin gs. I i U My invention, whichI denominatethe selfadjusting circular track-laying engine, re lates to improvements in the class of traction or road engines intended to draw loads on ordinary roads, or gangs of plows for prairie culture, or any analogous use, which produce or ,lay their own tracks. It also has relation to devices for communicating motion from the engine to the track or drive wheels by means to behereinafter shown, and, further, tocertain devices for steering or directing the machine, all which peculiarities of construction and operation will be hereinafter fully set forth and described in the specification and drawings. l H

The boiler and engine, constructed and provided with the customary cylinder, piston-rod, and other attachments, are mountedupon and. securely attached to the body or bed of the carriage in any usual manner, so'that the greater part of the weight will rest upon the rear or driving wheels, and motion is communicated to these wheels by a chain from the engine passing around a pulley or wheel on their axle.

Inasmuch as my invention relates more particularly to the construction and operation of deemed necessary to show the boiler and en-' to a description of the'parts which I consider may be mounted 1 on the bed of my carriage and used for propelling the same,'and I make no claim to such, save in combination with my devices. t t t Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of my engine-carriage. Fig. 2 shows a plan front wheel and the steering apparatus, shown partly in section. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the drive-wheels and their axle, also exhibit- Application filed March 529, 1883. (No model.)

ing in section, of the front or guide wheels with their axle and the steering apparatus and its connections.

A A are theside bars, extending the whole length of the machine and forming the bed or body of the carriage, which hangs below the center of ,the wheels, andB B B are cross sills or bars, which, with the side bars, form the bedon which the engine and boiler are to be located. l l

0 Care the drive-wheels, and D D the front or steering wheels, all of peculiar construction, as hereinafter shown. The rear or drive wheels, G, are made with circular rims, of metal, having neither hubs nor spokes, but

having a continuous series of teeth extending all around their inner surface, at the center of the rim, to receive the cogs of the gear-wheel F, and flanges on each side of the teeth to receive the rims of the said gear-wheel F, which is rigidly connected with the axle or shaft E, near its end, and the smooth flanges also receive the friction-rollers f at the ends of the bar .6 of the frame. The wheels 0 are connected with the axle E in the following manner: 1

AiT-shaped frame composed of two arms, 0 and e, is provided, having the upright arm e journaled on the axle E, which carries the gear-wheelF, and the upper bar, 6, is made double, and carries between its sides, at each end, the friction-rollers f, which run in the flanges on the inner periphery of the drivewheels 0 on each side of the teeth and support the ends of the bar 6.

In the center of the axle E is a pulley-wheel, G,by which power from the engine is applied to revolve the axle and drive-wheels, and

braces H H extend from'each side of wheel G up to ,the inner bar, 6, of the roller-frame.

tical position, and prevent its movingforward.

It will be seen thatthe axle E is far below the center of the wheels O, and on level ground,

or whereno obstruction is encountered, the

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soon as the drive-wheel O meets an obstruction the forward progress of G will cease, the frame 6 6 will incline backward at top until the brace H reaches bar A, and the wheel F will begin to climb the rim of C until it reaches the height of the obstruction, when the brace H will rest upon the beam A, and the wheel 0 will be lifted upon the obstruction, recommence its revolution, and be carried over, and the frame e eand wheel F retake their normal position. The wheel G is: at once a drive-wheel and an endless track on which the wheel F runs and ascends to lift wheel 0 over obstructions, and, as shown, when meeting an obstruction, the frame e e is inclined backward as wheel F climbs the track in G, the inclination of the frame being limited by the brace H striking against the side bar, A, of

the bed, while its forward motion is limited by arm e striking against the'shoulder in the rail '5. The motion of each wheel '0 is independent of the other, and one can be raised over an obstruction while the other remains on the level. Their construction and action being similar, only one-is described.

Next will be considered the steering apparatus. The wheels D are made solid, with a large circular opening in the center, and provided with a semicircular center piece or hub, K, fitting in this opening, and flanged or provided with overlapping edges to hold the wheel in place, and. rising from this piece Kis a bolt, L, which passes through avertical opening in the end of the forward axle, M, and forms a connection with the same, allowing it to rise and fall. At the top of the bolt L is a pin, Z, extending up to and into a chuck or rider, m, which holds the wheel steady at the top. The axle has a vertical movement upon the bolt which enables the front wheels to pass over cular hub K, has flanges fitting oneach side of the wheel to hold it in place- Sufficientspace is allowed between the semicircular hub K andthe rider m to permit the axle M to play up and down when the wheel crosses an inequality of the ground or other obstruction. The axle M has on each side, near the wheel, guides N, which are arranged to play between up- 5 rights N, rising from the frame A, which up.- rights hold the axle in position, but. allow a vertical motion when the guide or front :wheels' D encounter an obstruction. Apivot-bolster,

frame Aby stirrups or stays pp. An elon.-.- gated slot, 0, in the bolster permits the pasthe direction of the course of the engine. The

slot 0 in the bolster, being longer at top than at bottom, permits the ends of the bolster to -move or play up and down when necessary, said motion being controlled and regulated by the springs P. It will thus be seen that when the engine is moving over level ground the forward axle rests on the semicircular hubpieces, and direction can be changed by turning the stem P to right or left, as desired; but when either of the forward wheels encounters an obstruction that end of the axle will rise from. the frame, its guard-pieces N playing between the uprights N, and, if necessary, will lift the end of the bolster as well, and allow the wheel Dtopass'over the obstruction without: changing the level of the bed of the carriage.

The bed of the carriage is made to: hang low, so that the center of gravity will be belowthecenter of the guide and drive wheels,

: and all: dangerof upsetting when passingover an: obstruction: is overcome.

The turning-post P acts as the pivot on which the bolster and its attachments turn. 7 Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new and my discovery, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1S:-

1. In a traction-engine constructed as described, the combination of the bed or carriage-frame A A B B B provided with the uprights Iand rails i, the latter having shoulders to=limit the forward motion of the frame '6 e, and the backward motion of the said frame being limited by the braces H, which are arranged to strike against the frameA, with the axle E, having a pulley or wheel, G,

by which motion is imparted, the gear-wheel F, frame e e, carrying friction-rollers f, drivewheelsC, and braces H, all arranged and operating as'hereinbefore described. obstructions. The rider m, like the semicir- 2. The combination of the carriage frame or'bed A A B B B of a traction-engine, having uprights I and rails 2', the latter provided with shoulders to receive the frame 6 e, and thereby limitits forwardmotion or revolution,

with the axle E, carrying the pulleyor sprocketwheel= G, the gear-wheels F, frame 6 6, carrying the friction-rollers f, drive-wheels 6, bracesH, having boxes or bearingsin which the axle E revolves, and arranged to strike againstthe frame A A, to limit the backward i motion of the frame e e in the rim of the drive-- wheels 0, all substantially as described.

0, is mounted on the axle M. It is held in- 3 position by springs I, connected with the- 3. The guide-wheels consisting of the solid rim D, the semicircular hub-K, the bolt Ii, the pin Z, and the chuck or rider m, all as shown and described.

sage of the turning post or stem 1?, which F 4. The-combination of the solid wheel-rim D, semicircular hub-piece K, bolt TL, axle M,

pin Z, andiehuck or riderm, all substantially as hereinbeforeshown and described.

5; The combination of the wheels D,.ax1e M, turning'post P, slotted bolster O crosshead Q, and rods r, as shown, for the purpose M of changing the direction of the traction-engine and passing the guide-wheels over obstructions without altering the level of the carriage-bed which supports the propelling mechanism, all substantially as described.

.6. In a traction-engine the combination of the carriage-bed A B, which supports the propelling mechanism, with the axles E M,

the wheels C D, the bolster 0, having springs I 1 5 and stays as described, the turning-postP,

the cross-head Q, rods 0", and the semicircular hub-pieces K of the guidewhee1s,a11 as shown and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 20 presence of two witnesses.

BANSOM S. ANGELL.

XVitnesses:

F. D. LA'RRABEE, GEo. N. LAMP-HERE. 

